Cardiovascular Disease Statistics

Statistics related to heart disease:

Each year, heart disease is at the top of the list of the country's most serious health problems. In fact, statistics show that cardiovascular disease is America's leading health problem, and the leading cause of death. Consider the most recent statistics released by the American Heart Association (AHA):

About 81 million people in this country suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Almost one out of every 2.9 deaths results from cardiovascular disease.

Nearly 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day, an average of one death every 38 seconds.

Cardiovascular disease is the cause of more deaths than cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and accidents combined.

It is a myth that heart disease is a man's disease. In fact, cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer of women (and men). These diseases currently claim the lives of half a million females every year.

About one-third of cardiovascular disease deaths occurred prematurely (before age 75, the approximate average life expectancy in that year).

On average, someone in the US suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies every 4 minutes from stroke.

Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability that accounts for more than half of all patients hospitalized for a neurological disease. Stroke deaths have been increasing in recent years.